Glass-annealing leer



Aug. 19, 1930. P. Q'wlLLlAMs 1,773,383

GLASS ANNFADING LEER- Filed March so.; 192'?` 2 sheets-sneak 1 Aug; 19, 1930. P. Q. WILLIAMS -GLAss ANNEALYING LEER Filed March 5o, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented ug. 19, 1930 I13131151511" oFFic-E PERCY Q. WILLIAMS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, AssIGNOR To OWENS-ILLINOIS GLASS OOM- PANY, or TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION or 'OHIO Y GLAss-ANNEALING LEER Application ined March 3o, 1927. serial lNo. 179,504. v

.eral arrangement and principle involving recirculation and continued use of the annealing medium is disclosed and claimed in my 'copending application, S. N. 129,373, filedA f August 16, 1926. Said copending application to some extent discloses 'but does not contain claims to the feature of circulation an an-- nealing medium beneath the leer conveyor,

i annealing of the ware vand minimizes the presence of strains and cracks in the articles being treated; To this end, the leer is so constructed that a longitudinal 'passageway is formed beneath a length of the ware conveyor and equipped with valves so that the annealing medium rising from the recuperator may be divided, causing a portion to move through the passageway beneath the conveyor while the remaining portion risesinto the annealing chamber for direct contact with the ware. Due to the valve control, the heating effectiveness of the construction may be readily varied to meet the particular re' quireinent-s of the ware being treated.

Other Objects will be apparent hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view of the front portion of a leer showing the relation of the bottom passage- Way to the associated parts.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of theleer showing the return pipe connectionsthrough whichthe annealing medium is returned to the recuperator for relieating and injection into the annealing chamber.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view at the prises spaced side walls -5 resting in part upon longitudinal base members 6 formed of channel iron units, said side walls being intercon-v nected at their upper ends by a cover or ceiling 7. The side walls and cover areformed of suitable insulating material held in place by a metal casing 8. The ware receiving end of the leer may be closedby a vertically movable gate 9. An endless ware conveyor 10 is arranged between the walls Of the leer and at its front end runs over two vertically spaced sprocket Vwheels 11. 'This ware conveyor is preferably in the form of a series of'intercoiinected transverse metal plates or pans spaced apart slightly to permit circulation of an annealing medium as will be hereinafter pointY ed out. y

Arranged between the upper and lower reaches of the ware conveyor at the forward end of the lcei is a heating unit including a c oinbustioii chamber 12 and a tube recuperator 13. Obviously, a'recuperator other lthan the tube type may be employed if desired. This unit is of a type similar to that disclosed 'in my copending application. S. N. 129,373, filed August 16, 1926. In the present application, the recuperator is 'spaced agreater distancebelow the upper reach of the conveyor than in the copeiiding application referred to andthe top casting 40 of the recuperator 13 is enlarged at its forward end to provide a seal 14 directly-over the combustion chamber 12.

l The lower ends ofthe recuperator tubes communicate directly with a chamber 1 5y `whose rear end opens into a transverse pipe 16 leading `from a suction fan 17 Aat one side of the leer. This fan 17 has pipe connection with a central longitudinal return pipe 18 (Fig. 2). Valve controlled suction boxes 19 r spaced along the leer tunnel provide communication between the Ware receiving tunnel 2O and the return pipe 18. Through opera-V tion of the suction fan 17, a continuous cir- -top and bottom platesQQ and 23, respectively,

the former being arranged in a-plane with the .top casting of the recuperator whereby an under-pan passageway 24 is formed eX- tending from the front end seal 14 to a point just beyond the suction. box 19 remote from the receiving end ot the leer. At this point,

the under-pan passageway is closed `by in-y creasing the thickness ot the partition 21 which vis preferably Jformed ot suitable insulating niaterial.

The ware conveyor is maintained in proper spaced relation with the top'plate 2Q of the horizontal partition 21 by a series of rollersv 25 which also serve to reduce friction between the conveyor and;y its support. ranged at intervals along the under-pan passageway 24. is a set of transversely extending valves which areindividually adjustable to lcontrol the extent of movement ot the annealing medium through said passageway. These valves each include a transverse operating and carrying rod 26, journalled in the side walls 27 and in a bushing 28, said rod mounting at its outer end an operating crank 29fwhich may be manually moved to adjust the position of the valve. This valve also includes transversely aligned plates 30 which are suitably connected to the valve rod 26 so that rotation of the latter will change the angle ot the plates and thereby eliminate any desired portion of the passageway chamber in the usual manner and is slowly moved through the annealing chamber tofrom the path of` circulationv of the annealing medium or vary its heating effectiveness.

In operating a leerconstructed as above set forth, the ware is fed into the annealing ward the 'delivery'end of the leer tunnel-20. TheW annealing medium is circulated under influence of the suction fan 17 and during its circulation moves upwardly through the recuperator tubes wherein it is brought to the proper temperature and thence rises through the spaces between the ware con'- dium is returned to the recuperator by veyor pans or plates and into direct contactl with the ware being treated. This annealing medium, together with the heat rising from the ware itself, is drawn into one or more of the suction boxes 19 depending upon the position of the suction box valves 35.,

From the suction boXes,'the annealing me- ,Way of the return pipe 18 and the fan 1T.

In the event thewar'e'being handled is of that type in which the bottoms are eX- ceptionally heavy, it is desirable tov cause application of additionalheat to the heavyy bottonis so that the Ware structure wlll bc uniformly heated in thel annealing chamber. Under these circumstances, the valves in the under-pan passageway 24 will be adjusted so that a portion of the annealing medium will be drawn rearwardly beneath the pans a distance governed by the length ot the annealing zone. or periodcf time required to bring the ware bottoms to the `proper temperature. By so dividing the annealing medium. the conveyor i pans and ware bottoms maybe 4brought tothe desired teinperature at which the ware bottoms and body ,portions are iiiiormly heated. By adjusting the valves .30. as shown for example in Fig. 1. a portion ot the annealing medium will be directed through the under-pan passageway to the second valve 30. Between the recuperator and the second valve 30 in the iinder-pan passageway. the

annealing medium rises into the leer tunnel in the usual manner. but due to the rearward movement of a portion ot the hot annealing medium beneath and in direct contactwith the conveyor pans. said pans and the contact-y valves 3.5 in the suction boxes 19 and the valves 30 in the under-pan passageway may be so relatively adjusted that the annealing Zone' above the conveyor and the effective length of the passageway Q4 are ot corresponding length or vary as required by the type ot ware being treated.

tions, the annealing zone in the space 'above the conveyor -may be lengthened beyondthe' effective limit of the passageway; causing extra application` of heatato the body por-- tions and uniform `heating of the ware structure.

Manitestly, certain minor changes may be resorted to within vthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is y 1. A glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chainber,a ivare conveyor, a beating unit at the forward end of the annealing chamber, ineansc-aiising a continuous circulation in a. closed path. ot' an annealing medium freefroni products ot combustion, said Obviously.

Medium weight 'bottoms inay require only a slight additional heating and if this ware has heavy body porpath extending through the annealing chainer and heating unit, and means causing movement of a portionof the annealingmedium a predetermined distance rearwardly beneath the conveyor.

2. A glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chamber, a ware conveyor, a heating unit at the forward end of the annealing chamber, means causinga continuous circulation in a closedpath, of an annealing medium free from 'products of combustion, said path extending through the annealing chamber and heating unit, means causing movement of a portion of the annealing medium.

rearwardly beneath the conveyor, and valve means for controlling the extent of such movement.

3. A glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chamber, a ware conveyor, aheating unit at the forward end of the annealing chamber, suction boxes communicating with the annealing chamber and arranged in a closed path including theheating unit, means causing circulation of an annealing medium through the heating unit, annealing chamber and suction boxes, and means causing movement of a portion of the annealing medium a Apredetermined distance rearwardly beneath the conveyor.

4. A glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chamber, a ware conveyor, a heating unit at the forward endl of theannealingchamber, suction boxes 4communieating with the annealing chamber rand -arranged iii a closed path including the heating unit, means causing circulation of an annealing medium through the heating unit, annealing chamber and suction boxes, means causing inovemeii't of va portion of the annealing medium rear-j wardly beneath the conveyor, and valves arranged at intervals along and beneath the conveyor, said valvesl being adjustable. to cause upward movement of the annealing medium through the ware conveyor.

A glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chamber, aware conveyor, a heating unit at the forward end of the annealing chamber, a partition spaced below the ware conveyor to forma, lnngitudinal passageway below the latter, means providing communication between the heating unit and said passageway, means for causing a contin- 'uous circulation of an annealing medium in a closed circuit extendingthrough the" annealing chamber, heating unit and -said passageway, and means in the annealing chainber and said passageway operable independently of each other to control the relative degrees of movement of the' annealing medium through the annealing chamber and said pas- G. A glass annealing leer comprising anA annealing chamber. a ware conveyor. aheating unit at the forward end of the annealing chamber, a partition spaced below the ware conveyor to form a longitudinal passageway below the latter, means providing communiand said chamber, and means communicating with the annealing ch amber for returning the annealingmedium from said chamber and passageway to the heating unit.

8. A glass annealing leer comprising-an annealing chamber, an endless ware con-,

veyor, a partition spaced below the ware conveyor forming a longitudinal passa'geway'be-- tween the partition and conveyor, a heating unit at the forward end of the annealing ch amber, means causing circulation of the anea ling medium through the passageway and said clianiber,lmeans communicating with the annealing chamber for exhausting and caus-v ing return of the annealingmedium from said chamber and passageway to-the heating unit,

and means for varying the effective length of said passageway.

9. vA glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chamber, an endlessware conveyor, a partition spaced below the ware conveyor y forming a longitudinal passageway between the partition and conveyor, a heating unit at the forward end ofthe annealing chamber, means causing"circulationof the annealing medium through the passageway and said chamber, means communicating withthe annealing chamber for exhausting and causing return'of the annealing medium from said chamber and passageway to the heating unit, and valve means for varying the heating effectiveness of the passageway. y

10. A glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chamber, an endless ware conveyor, a recuperator including a heating unit spaced below the forward end of the conveyor providing a passageway therebetween, a partition extending rearwardly in a plane with the upper side of the reeuperator providing a rearward extension of said passageway, means closing the opposite ends of said passageway, and means causing circulation of an annealing medium through the annealing chamber and a variable length of said passagewa Y i 11. A glass annealing leer comprising an annealing chamber, an endless ware conveyor, a recuperator including a heating unit spaced below the forward end of the con'- veyor` providing a passageway therebetween,

^ a partition extending rearwardly in a plane with the upper side of the recuperator providing a rearward extension of -said passageway, means closing the opposite ends of said passageway, means causing circulation of an annealing medium through the recuperator, the annealing chamber and said passageway, and means adjustable to vary the extent of n movement oftlie annealing medium through with said conveyor a passageway extending' lengthwise thereof beneath the conveyor, said conveyor forming an upper wall or cover for said passageway and formed with restricted openings for the passage of an annealing gas,l means for heating said gas, and means to cause a portion of said gas to flow through said passageway lengthwise thereof and a portion to move upward through said restrieted openings. f f.

14. An annealing leer comprising a leer tunnel, a traveling ware conveyor extending lengthwise through the leer. means formingwith said conveyor 'a passageway extending lengthwise-thereof beneath the conveyor, saidconveyor forming an upper wall or cover foi" said passageway and formed with restricted openings for the passage of an annealing gas,

means for heating said gas, means to cause a portion of said gas to flowthrough said lpassageway lengthwise thereof and a portion t0 move upward through said restricted openings,and adjusting means to adjustably vary the vdistance through which the annealing gas is carried lengthwise of said passageway.

l5. An annealing leer lcomprising a leer tunnel, a traveling ware conveyor extending lengthwise through the leer, n'ieans'forining with said conveyor a passageway. extending lengthwise thereof beneath the conveyor, said conveyor forming an upper wall'or cover for said vpassageway and formed with restricted openings for the passage of an annealing gas, means for heating said gas, means to cause a portion of said gasto How through said passageway lengthwise thereof and a portion to move upward through said restricted openings, adjusting ineans to adjustably vary the .distance through whichl the annealing gas is carried lengthwise of said passageway, and separate adjusting means to adjustably regulate the amount of the annealing gas passing through said restricted openings.

Signed at rloledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 26th day of March,

PERCY Q. WILLIAMS. 

